pulp_magazine_preservationfandomcom-20200215-history
History
Name of Format Vintage comic books, pulp magazines. Pulp magazines''' 'are inexpensive fiction magazines that were published from 1896 through the 1950s. The term ''pulp derives from the cheap wood pulp paper on which the magazines were printed; in contrast, magazines printed on higher quality paper were called "glossies" or "slicks". The typical pulp magazine had 128 pages; it was 7 inches (18 cm) wide by 10 inches (25 cm) high, and 0.5 inches (1.3 cm) thick, with ragged, untrimmed edges. The first pulp magazine was published in 1882. While "Pulp magazines" refer specifically to the period from 1896 to the 1950's this historic overview gives the information about comic books from the pioneer age through the modern time. History of Format Looking at the history of comic books reveals a fairly set historical timeline. Each age is separated by style, concept and the type of story being told, especially in the three ages we’re looking at: Golden, Atomic, and Silver Ages. As we looked around, the dates for many of these ages vary slightly, so it’s subjective to some degree. Only until we got closer to the Modern Age of comics do we find that the paper used improves. The Pioneer Age (1500-1828): Mostly in the form of broadsheets and satirical magazines, instead of what we know today as comic books. These mostly circulated in Europe and were satirical in nature. These broadsheets and satirical magazines showed the dialogue balloon for the first time by the 1780’s. Victorian Age (1828-1883): A fair amount of social commentary. o One such as the 1837 comic book The Adventures of Obadiah Oldbuck. ''While no word balloons appeared in this comic, the text appeared below the images. It was a slightly larger format than what we know now, at 8.5” x 11”. o There’s still much research to be done into this era, as very little is known. Platinum Age (1883-1938): When comic books started to take more shape into what we know of now. Still social commentary and not as many word bubbles, but becoming more mainstream. o ''The Yellow Kid by Richard F. Outcault and Brownies by Palmer Cox (although not always considered a comic) began to appear in the mid 1880’s and started to bring the comic format to the mainstream. o Buster Brown also by Outcault was released in 1902 in the prevailing format of hardcover in 17" x 11" landscape. o In 1910, Mutt & Jeff ''by Bud Fisher was released in a hardcover book in 15” x 5” landscape, bringing yet another size and format to the mix. Golden Age (1938-1949): The Golden Age of Comic Books began with the introduction of ''Superman ''in 1938 and continued through to 1949. Many well known superheroes known and loved even today premiered during the Golden Age. o ''Captain America premiered in 1941 by Marvel Comics. o Batman made his first appearance in 1939 in Detective Comics #27 o Wonder Woman showed up first in All Star Comics #8 in December 1941 Atomic Age (1949-1956): The Atomic Age lasted from 1949 through 1956 and brought the world of comics into the “true crime” pulp in comic form, no longer relegated to text stories. Superheroes were set generally set aside for more realistic heroes and situations. o During an age of radio shows such as Dragnet and The Shadow, ''true crime, or something resembling it, pushed superheroes aside. o ''Crime Exposed (1948), True Crime Comics (1947), Crimes By Women (1948), The Killers ''(1947) all jumped on the true crime bandwagon. o Also dominating the comic book racks during the Atomic Age was a surge of Science Fiction and Horror. Monsters and aliens found a home in comic books during the Atomic Age. ''Invaders From Mars (1953) and Invasion of the Body Snatchers ''(1956) are classic tales that came out of this era. Silver Age (1956-1970): The Silver Age of comic books is generally considered to date from the first successful revival of the then-dormant superhero form, lasting from 1956 to roughly 1970. Looking back at the Golden Age for characters that could be revitalized and introduced to a new generation, Julius Schwartz (an agent for many well known writers such as Ray Bradbury and H.P. Lovecraft) o The reintroduction of ''The Flash in Showcase #4 (Oct. 1956). o During this time Marvel Comics revolutionized the medium with bringing back or even introducing new characters such naturalistic superheroes as Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's Fantastic Four and Lee and Steve Ditko's Spider-Man. '' Bronze Age (1970-1980's): The Bronze Age has a “fuzzy” demarcation from the Silver Age in that it’s believed to have started in the “early 1970’s” and continued on through the mid-1980’s. During this time, the CCA’s (Comics Code Authority) rules got stretched and even broken by bringing taboo subjects such as drug addiction into comics. The public was more accepting of the rules being broken, so the CCA gradually relaxed their rules. Comics became grittier, darker, o ''Conan the Barbarian (1970) premiered during this age. o Green Lantern took a darker turn during the Bronze Age working with Green Arrow. o Swamp Thing and Ghost Rider Modern Age (1980's- Present): The Modern Age began in the mid-1980’s and continues today. The term graphic novel is used sometimes interchangeable with comic book as longer more serious topics are part of the genre. o Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Watchmen, ''Neil Gaiman’s ''Sandman are included in this era. o Art Spiegelman’s Maus: A Survivor’s Tale in the pages of Raw Magazine in 1977. Considered more a graphic novel, it was later issued as a trade paperback in two parts in 1991. Spiegelman deftly tells the story of his father’s experiences as a Jew in Poland during the Holocaust. To provide some distance from his personal experiences, Spiegelman cast the Jews as mice and the Nazis as cats. Comics will continue to evolve and change as the tastes of society change over time. Preserving this important part of our shared cultural experience is important for future generations of researchers and lovers of the form.